THE ENVIRONMENT
A bill of rights for future generations
“We, the people of the future, like the twenty thousand generations who came before, have the right to breathe air that smells sweet, to drink water that runs pure and free, to swim in waters that teem with life, and to grow our food in rich, living earth.
We have the right to inherit the world unblemished by toxic chemicals, nuclear waste, or genetic pollution. We have the right to walk in untamed nature and feel the awe that comes when we suddenly lock eyes with a wild beast.
We beseech you the people of today: do not leave your dirty mess for us to clean up; do not take technologi- cal risks, however small, that may backfire catastrophically in times to come. Just as we respectfully ask that you not burden us with your deferred debts and depleted pension plans, we also claim our right to a share of the planets ecological wealth. Please don’t use it all up.
We in turn promise to do the same. We grant these same rights and privileges to the generations who will live after us; we do so in the sacred hope that the human spirit will live on forever.
A curse on any generation who ignores this plea.”
Adbusters #57 Volume 13 # 1
